Govia Thameslink/Rail Electrification

Joan Ryan Excerpts
Tuesday 3rd July 2018

(5 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Johnson of Marylebone Portrait Joseph Johnson
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Indeed, that is one element we will look at as we assess whether GTR has managed to stabilise services following the introduction of the new interim timetable on 15 July.

Joan Ryan Portrait Joan Ryan (Enfield North) (Lab)
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People in Enfield who aspire to get on a train are running up and down the platform in the mornings, but the trains are full by the time they reach us, because of the delays and cancellations. Yesterday, almost half of all trains were either delayed or cancelled, and on 15 July we get our third timetable in two months. This cannot be acceptable. The Minister is a sight too relaxed for my liking about this matter. Does he realise that people in Enfield and further afield have completely lost faith in the Government’s ability to manage the railways? And the Government do manage the railways!

Lord Johnson of Marylebone Portrait Joseph Johnson
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We are working urgently on improving GTR’s performance. It has a new chief executive coming in as we speak whose task is clear with respect to the instructions he has received from the Department, which are to get performance back to where it should be as rapidly as possible.